I'm leaving tonight for a short vacation, and that type of thing, the planning and arrangements, is typical of what causes my sleeplessness. I had insomnia last night. It's a condition that's been with me since childhood. It's not every night.
Last night I did some reading then tried to sleep a little past 11. I knew immediately I couldn't; the tossing and turning was all too familiar. Shortly after midnight, I decided to post something about Uzbekistan. It's been on my mind for awhile.
There's been several flawed opinions I've wanted to correct regarding our hypocritical relationship with such an evil tyranny. Let's not forget that Uzbekistan was key to launching the invasion on Afghanistan, an invasion almost universally supported, and certainly supported by many now crying foul.
Then recently, the Uzbeki regime responded brutally to riots, and human rights activists protested as if the US was somehow cozy with Uzbekistan. We just use their airfield, but we never condoned their slaughter, which is another story altogether. The Uzbekis lost a couple dozen police officers and a few guardsmen in those riots. If we'd lost as many in Afghanistan's recent riots, we probably would have responded with equal impunity. Who knows?
The Uzbekis were battling Islamic radicals, something lost on those criticizing our military presence in Uzbekistan. Something oddly lost on Condi Rice too. She's distanced us from a country which supported us when we needed the support. This administration's desire to sow seeds of democratic reform has all too often been a tool to empower radical Islamists.
It gets tiring. I hope the piece I posted on SCO opened some eyes to the animosity between the US and Uzbekistan. It's been palpable for over a year, just another tangle in the web of ignorance and misunderstanding that seems to grow daily between stubborn patriots of differing opinions.
About 2:30 this morning, I finished what felt like a brief, readable, under-reported and worthy topic on Central Asia. Tired, I hoped to sleep. Before closing Windows, I took a quick look at the news, and there it was.
London was under attack.
I turned on the tv in my bedroom for the first time in a month. I caught some of the earliest reports. CNN was asleep at the wheel. FOX and MSNBC had it covered. It was odd watching denial. I posted "Terrorism in London" about an hour before they were willing to admit it wasn't an electrical surge. What an odd fantasy that was. It was clearly terrorism-- obvious to anyone watching.
I still haven't slept, and I leave for the airport sooner than I'd like. I'll sleep on the plane. I always do. I have no fear of flying. I still enjoy takeoff with a boyish thrill. I know many who are frightened to travel, and I suspect there are many more after this morning in London. Having an evening flight and the day off to prepare for the trip, and not having the ability to sleep, I've spent the entire day in a fog reading every blog linked here, several not linked here, and some other forums. What a mess. What a shame.
If I had the time and clarity I would link and quote from a half dozen to the left and a half dozen to the right. Half of each would be sensible and half of each would be objectionable. Some of the sensible is truly superb, and some of the objectionable is simply loathsome. But those dozen posts would barely tell the story of the collective reaction-- the unfortunate, prejudicial and destructive ignorance and partisan divisiveness that this terror has succeeded to inject.
I can only add my hopes.
I hope a majority comes to realize the strategies and plans, the declarations and policies of neoconservatism, are blatantly false and failed. I hope people see the viciousness and failure of "Iraq as flypaper for terrorists, " the ridiculous assumption of-- "fighting them there avoids fighting them here." I hope people understand that this policy is an opiate for the deluded; an erred post facto scramble to retroactively rationalize the increase in terrorism guaranteed by failed illusions; a propagandized talking point machismo as a cover-up for an inability to nation build from disingenuous motives; a lie designed to persuade an insecure society of a false security. I hope people understand the onus is not on neoconservatism's dissenters to unite with those who would continue marching blindly into the hands of terrorism. I hope we all realize that the necessity of uniting to fight this enemy, to stop the bleeding, financial and human, requires those who endorse the failures, the lies, and the deceptions to join with those who do not.
I know I hope against hope.
-- Zap
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